Category: Gaming

PC gaming has had a great run with huge successes over the years. This is due to the fact that most popular games are available on PC version with awesome graphics and improved hardware which gives a far better gaming experience. The introduction of VR to PC came with such a buzz as this was a whole new level in gaming technology. PC gaming was going to make its biggest leap yet.

Virtual reality was a big hype from its inception. It came with headsets which gave a whole new language to gaming. It was supposed to be the beginning of a revolution for PC gaming. Fans were excited at the new development and waited for the new devices to hit the market. The expectations were quickly diminished by the quality and experience that followed. There were various options of VR head sets to choose from but each of them lacked a certain level of perfection added to the fact that the VR games which were available may not be the type of game you’d like to spend your time playing. In spite of their inability to live up to expectations VR games are still in the market, but what really went wrong? How did a most promising venture become a wash?

Lack of big games

Over a year into the introduction of VR and there were still no big games on the list. There were a few renowned releases such as Star Trek’s bridge Crew, Batman series called Arkham. A few other prominent games are expected to hit the market but big games from popular franchises are yet to show face. Not having the types of games that are highest on demand does put a gap in the demand for VR. People started going back to regular PC games. This may change in the future as there is room for major improvements to be made.

The VR games are way too conservative

The general idea and expectations of the gaming world upon the arrival of VR was a platform with freedom of movement an expression. The level of movement would be completely under the user’s control. Unfortunately this was far from the reality. The concept of VR held a large promise with the ability to view every corner around you and a full 360 view of your environment. The possibilities have no limits and yet the new games which were available fell short of these possibilities.

These limitations took away the whole essence of a VR experience. Some examples are Robo Recall; a combat game which keeps you on a straight path without the abilities to turn around, Wilsons Heart is another game which insists that players remain grounded on a spot, allowing only telepathic abilities, a single step away from point was enough to disqualify you. With so many limitations in movement such as walking, turning and the likes, one would wonder why it’s even called a virtual reality game.

Hardware inadequacies

The problem isn’t just the limitations experienced while playing the game; it starts from when you purchase the VR hardware. It’s expensive, its way too heavy, and let’s not even goes into the setup which by the way is difficult. A first time set up would be a little annoying. A few of the VR headsets like the Oculus and the Vive require high grade PCs to run. They also come with large cables which are a bit of an inconvenience. We may yet witness lighter head gears and fewer cables for VR in the future but that is being optimistic.

Is there any hope for VR in the future?

In spite of the rocky start, there is yet hope for VR gaming. This would come from reinvestment of big corporations into this possibility. Technology companies such as Microsoft, Acer and Lenovo are making meaningful contributions on their own part. Apple has also initiated a development on the Mac that would support VR platforms. There is so much expectation and this time there would be a complete over turn which might bring VR back to the spot light as the next big trend in PC gaming.